Daniel 3.22-Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego's Executioners Are Killed Because The Command To Execute Them Was Uncompromisingly Severe So That The Furnace Was Excessively Hot
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday July 24, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 3:22-Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego’s Executioners Are Killed Because The Command To Execute Them Was Uncompromisingly Severe So That The Furnace Was Excessively Hot
Lesson # 97
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 3:22.
This evening we will study Daniel 3:22, which records that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s executioners were killed because Nebuchadnezzar’s order to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal was uncompromisingly severe so that the furnace was excessively hot.
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king sculptured an image composed of gold, its height ninety feet, its width nine feet. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of the city of Babylon. 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king issued an order to assemble the satraps, military commanders as well as the governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges in other words, each and every one of the dignitaries from the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue, which Nebuchadnezzar erected. 3 Then when the satraps, military commanders as well as the governors, advisers, treasurers, lawyers, judges in other words, each and every one of the dignitaries from the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king had erected, they stood directly in front of the statue which Nebuchadnezzar had erected. 4 Next, a herald publicly proclaimed with authority: “To all of you nations, ethnicities and language groups, all of you are commanded: 5 At the precise moment when all of you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, dulcimer, drum as well as each and every type of musical instrument, all of you must fall down in order to worship the gold statue, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king has erected. 6 However, whoever refuses to fall down in order to worship, in that very hour, they will be deposited unceremoniously in the midst of a blazing, fiery furnace.” 7 Because of this, at the precise moment when each and every one of the people from the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, dulcimer as well as each and every type of musical instrument, each and every one of the nations, ethnicities and language groups fell down worshipping the gold statue which Nebuchadnezzar the king had erected. 8 Because of this, during this time certain Chaldean men made assertions, specifically, they slanderously accused some individuals from the Jewish race. 9 They made a statement to the king and said, 10 “O King live forever! You O king issued a command, namely that each and every person who hears the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, dulcimer as well as the drum and in addition every type of musical instrument, must fall down in order to worship the gold statue. 11 However, whoever refuses to fall down in order to worship, they will be deposited unceremoniously in the midst of a blazing, fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jewish men, because you assigned them the administration over the province of the city of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, these men have absolutely no respect for your command O king. By no means do they serve your god, that is, by no means do they worship the gold statue which you erected.” 13 Then, because of rage, yes and a furious rage at that, Nebuchadnezzar issued an order causing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be brought into his presence. Consequently, these men were brought into the king’s presence. 14 Nebuchadnezzar asked a question and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, all of you are refusing to serve my god, that is, all of you refuse to worship the gold statue, which I erected? 15 Now if all of you are ready, namely that, at the precise moment when all of you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, dulcimer, drum as well as each and every type of musical instrument, all of you must fall down in order to worship the gold statue, which I erected. However, if all of you refuse to fall down in order to worship, in that very hour, all of you will be deposited unceremoniously in the midst of a blazing, fiery furnace. Now, let’s see, what God exists who has the ability to effect the rescue of all of you out of my power?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, as for us, we are by no means obligated to respond to you concerning this matter. 17 Certainly, our God, whom, we serve, exists in the state of being able to rescue us from the blazing, fiery furnace so that He will cause us to be delivered out of your hand O king. 18 However, if not, let it be known to you O king that we are refusing to serve your god, that is, we refuse to worship the gold statue, you erected.” 19 Consequently, Nebuchadnezzar was totally and completely enraged. Also, his facial expression was changed against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He responded and issued an order to heat the furnace seven times more than which it was normally heated. 20 Then, he issued a command to certain, strong valiant men who were in his military to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for the purpose of depositing them unceremoniously into the blazing, fiery furnace. 21 Therefore, these men were tied up in their sandals, tunics and hats, as well as, their other garments. Then, they were unceremoniously deposited into the blazing, fiery furnace. (My translation)
Daniel 3:22 For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. (NASB95)
“For this reason, because” is composed of the preposition k- (כְּ־) (kee) and this is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (leh) and then we have the preposition qǒḇēl (קֳבֵל) (kob-ale´) which altogether are translated “for…reason” and then we have the demonstrative pronoun denā(h) (דְּנָה) (dane-awe), “this” and this is followed by the preposition min (מִן) (min) and its object is the particle dî (דִּי) (dee).
Daniel 3:22 begins with two prepositional phrases which present the reason why the soldiers died when they deposited Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the blazing, fiery furnace.
The first prepositional phrase is composed of the preposition k- which is employed with the prepositions lĕ and qǒḇēl to form a conjunctive clause which means “because of” and are employed with the demonstrative pronoun denā(h), which means “this” since it is referring to what is said in Daniel 3:19.
Thus, it is referring to Nebuchadnezzar ordering that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than it was normally heated, which is indicated by the second prepositional phrase which follows this first one.
This second prepositional phrase is introducing a statement which spells out for the reader what the first prepositional phrase kā l qǒḇēl denā(h) (כָּל־קֳבֵ֣ל דְּנָ֗ה), “because of this” is referring to.
Therefore, the first prepositional phrase means “because of this” referring to the statement in Daniel 3:19, which records Nebuchadnezzar ordering the furnace to be heated seven times more than it was normally heated.
It is presenting the basis or the reason for the death of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s executioners.
The second means “because” referring also to the king’s command to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal and is introducing a statement which spells out explicitly for the reader the reason for the death of the soldiers.
They died “because” Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than it was usually heated and thus when the soldiers went to deposit Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace, the flames killed them.
“Urgent” is the feminine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active participle form of the verb ḥǎṣǎp̄ (חֲצַף) (khats-af´), which means “to be uncompromisingly severe” and is used to describe Nebuchadnezzar’s order to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal when executing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Here in Daniel 3:22, the word emphasizes the severity of this order that Nebuchadnezzar gave to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal when killing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
It also emphasizes the urgency of this order from the king in that it was unnecessary to issue such an order since the normal temperature of the furnace would be sufficient to kill Daniel’s three friends instantly.
“And the furnace had been made extremely hot” presents the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s uncompromisingly severe order to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normal when executing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
“Had been made extremely hot” is composed of the masculine singular peʿil (Hebrew: qal passive) passive participle form of the verb ʾǎzā(h) (אֲזָה) (az-aw´), “had been made hot” which is modified by the feminine singular adjective yǎt∙tîr (יַתִּיר) (yat-teer´), “extremely.”
The verb ʾǎzā(h) means “to make hot” and refers to making the temperature of the furnace hot.
The noun yǎt∙tîr means “extremely” or “excessively” and implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable in the sense that it was unnecessary to issue such an order since the normal temperature of the furnace would be sufficient to kill any human being.
“Those men” is reference to certain strong, valiant men in Nebuchadnezzar’s army who were ordered to carry out the execution of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Daniel 3:22 Because of this, because the king’s command was uncompromisingly severe so that the furnace was excessively hot, those men who carried Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the flame of the fire killed them. (My translation)
This statement serves to make the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from Nebuchadnezzar’s hand more impressive since it makes clear how hopeless their situation was in that the flames of the furnace killed some of the best soldiers in the king’s military.
Daniel 3:19-22 tells us that the soldiers deposited Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the midst of the furnace, this would expose them to the flames, thus they were killed.
No other soldiers are mentioned in the execution of these three since the soldiers who carried out the execution, died while doing so.
Undoubtedly, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were unceremoniously deposited by the soldiers into the midst of the furnace, they were praying.
They were dealing with their fears of death through prayer.
Philippians 4:6 At this very moment, all of you stop continuing to be anxious about absolutely anything, but rather, concerning anything at all by means of reverential prayer in the presence of the Father and by means of petition accompanied by the giving of thanks, let your specific detailed requests be repeatedly made known in the presence of the Father. (My translation)